James Beard Awards 2025: Fil-Am chefs among semifinalists
From left, Chef Paolo Dungca, Chef Aisha Ibrahim, and Chef Suzanne Cupps. Photos from Paolodungca, aisha.ibrahim22, suzycupps/Instagram
Several Filipino American chefs and restaurants have made it to the semifinalist round of the prestigious James Beard Awards for 2025.
The James Beard Awards honor excellence across all aspects of the culinary and food media industries and recognize talent that demonstrates a commitment to equity and sustainability.
Here are the Fil-Am chefs and restaurants among the James Beard Award semifinalists for 2025.
Fil-Am chefs named 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists
Monique and Paul Feybesse of Tarts de Feybesse
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The husband-and-wife duo of Tarts de Feybesse in Oakland has been nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker, a testament to their mastery of French-inspired pastries.
Monique Feybesse, a Fil-Am chef and restaurateur from San Francisco, began her career at fine-dining restaurants. An alumna of Bravo’s Top Chef, she has also competed and won at Food Network’s Battle of the Decades.
Paolo Dungca of Hiraya
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The visionary behind Hiraya in Washington, D.C., Chef Paolo Dungca earned a spot as a semifinalist under the Emerging Chef category. Dungca infuses traditional flavors with modern techniques.
Aisha Ibrahim of Canlis
Clinching the Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific nomination, Canlis Seattle’s first female executive chef Aisha Ibrahim also landed TIME100’s Next 2024 list and was named 2023 Food & Wine Best New Chef.
Expressing her gratitude on Instagram, she wrote “I have always dreamt of seeing my name on this list someday. Honored for the recognition in the semifinalist list.”
Linda Milagros Violago of Canlis
Canlis’ sommelier Linda Milagros Violago is nominated for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service. Raised in Winnipeg, Canada, Violago started her journey in hospitality before pursuing a Sommelier Diploma with the International Sommelier Guild.
Suzanne Cupps of Lola’s
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Chef Suzanne Cupps, owner of Lola’s in New York, earned her nomination for Best Chef: New York State. Famed for her vegetable-forward dishes, Cupps named her restaurant “Lola’s” as a tribute to her grandmother.
Sheldon Simeon of Tiffany’s
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Fil-Am Chef Sheldon Simeon from Maui, Hawaii, has been named Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific semifinalist for his work at Tiffany’s, a restaurant he co-owns with partner Janice Simeon.
Along with his partner, the Top Chef alum has been recognized for transforming Tiffany’s, a local sports bar, into a family-run Filipino Hawaiian dining spot.
Tara Monsod of Animae
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The executive chef of Animae in San Diego, Tara Monsod returns this year for the James Beard Awards as a Best Chef: California semifinalist. With over a decade of culinary experience, Monsod continues to push boundaries alongside Chef Brian Malarkey.
Lordfer Lalicon of Kaya
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The chef-owner of Kaya in Orlando, Lordfer Lalicon has been recognized as a semifinalist for Best Chef: South. Kaya, with its contemporary Filipino concept, was a finalist for Best New Restaurant last year.
Silver Iocovozzi of Neng’s Jr.
Chef and owner of Neng’s Jr. in Asheville, North Carolina, Silver Iocovozzi secures another nomination this year for Best Chef: Southeast. Neng’s Jr. has been widely recognized for highlighting Filipino Appalachian cuisine.
Fil-Am-owned restaurants named 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists
République in Los Angeles
This fine-dining restaurant in LA is once again in the running for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality, with Fil-Am pastry chef Margarita Lorenzana Manzke also earning a nomination for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.
Co-founded by Margarita and her husband Walter Manzke, République has been offering French-inspired cuisine with a modern twist since 2014.
Archipelago in Seattle
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Co-owned by Fil-Am Chef Aaron Versoza and his wife Amber Manuguid, this fine-dining restaurant in Seattle, Washington, has been recognized as a semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality.
The restaurant champions Filipino identity, culture and empowerment” and Pacific Northwest cuisine through “progressive Filipino American flavors,” according to its website.
